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Curry powder is a standardized spice blend used in Indian cooking. In India, cooks prefer to prepare spices as needed, but packaged mixes are available. Masalas are customized spice blends used in Indian cuisine, while curry powder blends are common in the West. Different spice manufacturers offer a variety of curry powders. Curry can be used in various dishes and should be stored in a cool, dry place for a few months. It is possible to mix your own masala and store it for up to two months.
Curry powder is a spice blend designed to be used in Indian cooking. In India, cooks prefer to prepare the spices as needed, ensuring maximum flavour, but it is also possible to buy packaged curry mixes. In the West, curry powder blends are very common, with many cooks using them for convenience, as making your own powder can be time consuming.
Indian cuisine is famous for having a wide variety of spices, which varies according to the dish, the region and the personal taste. When British settlers arrived in India, they were fascinated by traditional Indian cuisine, especially the savory South Indian khari, or ‘sauces’. In a desire to bring part of India back with them, settlers began creating their own curry powder blends, adapting them to Western tastes and often including a large amount of turmeric for a distinctive yellow color.
In India, such spice blends are known as masalas, and there are hundreds to choose from when cooking. The ingredients in a masala are ideally ground and customized to suit the food being prepared, the occasion and the time of year, and these spice blends are stored for no more than a month or so to ensure the flavor remains fresh. The spices used in masalas can include things like: cardamom, nutmeg, mace, mustard seeds, pepper, chillies, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek and numerous other spices.
Curry powder also includes many of these spices, blended into a standardized blend intended for use in any type of dish. Some cooks may start with a curry base and then add other spices to tweak the taste a bit, while others just use straight curry. With a growing interest in traditional Indian food, different spice manufacturers have created a number of curry powders with different flavours, offering some diversity to the consumers.
Curry can be mixed into sauces, soups and stews, used in marinades, sprinkled on various dishes, and even whisked with things like eggs to add an Indian twist to Western foods. People who buy canned or jarred curry powder should plan to store it in a cool, dry place and use it within a few months for the best flavor. It is also possible to mix your own masala, using a customized assortment of spices which should be roasted before grinding for the best flavour; if you don’t want to mix the spices every time you cook, make a small batch and store it in an airtight container for up to two months.
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